I have many interests, so this is going to be a blog on lots of subjects. Submarines, my family, history, books I read, the space programme, archaeology, astronomy, current events, the occasional joke.... Just don't expect any politics, sports or deep philosophy, and we should get along fine.

05 October 2007

This day in history: 5 Oct

1877: Chief Joseph surrendered his Nez Percé band to General Nelson A Miles, in Montana.

1918: During an Australian attack on German positions near Montbrehain, France, Lieutenant George M Ingram, 24th Battalion (Victoria), charged a concentration of nine German machine-guns, killing 42 of their crew. He later attacked another machine-gun position, killing its crew and capturing the gun, and two strongpoints, taking 62 prisoners. Ingram was awarded the Victoria Cross.

That same day, near Exermont, France, Sergeant Michael B Ellis, 28th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, operated far in advance of the first wave of his company, single-handedly attacking and reducing machinegun nests. Alone, he captured over 45 prisoners and ten machineguns. Ellis was awarded the Medal of Honor.

1930: The British airship R101, en route to India, crashed near Beauvais, France; 46 of the 54 passengers and crew were killed, and one other died of his injuries three days later.

1962: The first James Bond movie, Dr No, and the first single by the Beatles, "Love Me Do," were released in the United Kingdom.

1984: Space shuttle Challenger (Robert L Crippen, Jon A McBride, Kathryn D Sullivan, Sally K Ride, David C Leestma, Marc Garneau and Paul D Scully-Power) was launched from Cape Canaveral on mission STS-41-G. This was the first shuttle mission to carry a seven-man crew, and the first to carry two female astronauts; Garneau was the first Canadian in space; and Sullivan became the first American woman to perform a spacewalk** (on 11 October).